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LORDSTOWN -- General Motors is again slowing down production of the locally made Chevrolet Cruze sedan.
But this round of downtime at the GM Assembly Complex in Lordstown can be attributed, at least in part, to a supplier issue, according to local union leaders.
For the majority of workers, the downtime started today as general assembly at the plant was halted. However, downtime will officially commence across the complex Monday and continue through the end of next week. Workers will also be off the weeks of Sept. 25 and Oct. 2.
Glenn Johnson, president, United Auto Workers Local 1112, said the issue is twofold.
"The supplier isn't able to supply as much product as we'd like to have for production," Johnson said. "It's not something we have any control over."
He and Rob Morales, president UAW Local 1714, said they were not able to elaborate on the matter. The two unions represent most of the local plant's some 3,000 workers.
Johnson said the downtime is also part of GM's ongoing plan to align Cruze production with the continued market shift from smaller cars to larger vehicles.
An email the Tribune Chronicle received from GM on Thursday states, "Lordstown's production schedule has been adjusted to support current and future business needs. For competitive reasons, we do not comment on specifics related to our manufacturing schedules and we have no other details to offer at this time."
Earlier this year, GM announced plans to roll back Cruze production this year to cut bloated inventory.
The plant was down for three weeks in March and again during a scheduled two-week vacation period at the end of June. The plant also shut down for three weeks in July.
"On the surface, it would appear we don't have a lot going for us," Morales said. "But we continue to build a quality car that continually gets recognized as a top vehicle. Our membership continues going day in and day out doing quality work. That's what we try to focus on."
Lordstown has been running on two shifts since January, when more than 800 jobs were cut with the elimination of the facility's third shift. Johnson said he expected another 20 of his members to be laid off today.
"It hasn't been easy recently, but you just get back up and keep building cars and supplying customers," he said. "We're survivors. We'll get through this."
More than 3.5 million Cruzes have been sold around the world since 2008, and Lordstown has been exclusively making the popular sedan since it launched here in 2010.
The local plant started producing the second generation of the Cruze sedan early last year. But the Cruze faced a bumpy road in 2016 with U.S. sales falling 16.6 percent for the year compared with 2015.
Cruze sales, which include the sedan built in Lordstown and the Mexican-made Cruze hatchback, which went into production last fall, have continued to drop in recent months. Sales were down by 26 percent last month compared to August 2016, according to numbers released by GM.
Even so, the Cruze has consistently maintained its place as one of the automaker's top-selling vehicles.
In recent months, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Cruze its best score of a 5-Star safety rating; J.D. Power's study for Automotive Performance, Execution and Layout showed the Cruze ranked fifth in the small-car segment; and Consumer Reports announced the Cruze had made it to the organization's 2017 Annual Top Picks list.
vshank@tribtoday.com